Tourists Flock to Island

Last year saw 318,000 visitors to the island as figures climbed above pre-pandemic figures.

Visitors contributed £183.2m revenue in visitor spend, exceeding targets by 18,000 and £21.8m respectively.

Last year also saw the island’s serviced accommodation occupancy figures bypass 2019’s figures by 9% and 5% for self-catering accommodation, demonstrating a robust recovery from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deborah Heather, CEO of Visit Isle of Man, attributes the unprecedented growth to the strategic ‘noise’ campaign implemented by the Visit Isle of Man team throughout the year, commenting:

‘Upon joining Visit Isle of Man in April 2023, it became evident that our market penetration needed enhancing to attract tourists more effectively. We focused on amplifying our presence through extensive PR and social media initiatives, positioning the island as a unique and interesting destination.

‘We’re into the second year of our ten-year Visitor Economy Strategy, ‘Our Island, Our Future’, and these exceptional figures are testament to the progress made within the strategy, reaffirming our commitment to achieving our target of 500,000 annual visitors by 2032.’

Daphne Caine MHK, Political Member with responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport, said:‘I attribute the welcome growth in visitor numbers to the hard work and entrepreneurship of our accommodation, attraction and activity providers, food and drink establishments and producers, and everyone else who provides a great experience for our visitors. I feel confident we will go from strength to strength as a destination. I extend my sincere appreciation to the dedicated team at Visit Isle of Man, its industry partners and the local tourism and hospitality businesses whose collective efforts have contributed significantly to the island’s resurgence.

‘I am highly optimistic regarding the prospects that lie ahead for the island’s tourism sector. The Isle of Man is simply a wonderful place to live or visit – the challenge has always been raising awareness and making it easy to get here, and I am confident the Visit Agency and Department for Enterprise are rising to meet that challenge.’